Anna Pollock, Conscious TravelToerisme VlaanderenJanuary 12th, 2018

IS IT TIME TO RE-DEFINE SUCCESS?From more to better; from bigger to flourishing?

(c) Anna Pollock, Conscious Travel 1

Environmental Distress

Economic Instability

Technology – that’s promising & terrifying

Socio-Political Unrest

Volatile

Uncertain

Complex

Ambiguous

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Haven’t we had enough change within tourism?

Digitisation, multi media, Internet, online travel agencies, loyalty programs, chain hotels, low cost airlines, geographical spread, social media, UGC, sharing economy, niche markets, gig economy, AI & robots, RFIDs, mass customisation, big data, micro niches………..

Plus ça change, plus c'est la meme chose

The operating model stayed the same

Industrial Model

Phenomenal Success: Systemically Flawed!

Internal Characteristics

1. Tourism an extractive economy dependent on finite resources

2. Industrial structures and processes inappropriately applied

3. Tourism is a derivative, secondary economy

4. What we sell is temporally and spatially constrained

5. Benefits & costs unevenly distributed!

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Overtourism - Signs of a Tsunami crashing?

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If Success can Hurt?

Are we running into a wall?

The writing on the wall?

OR

It isn’t as if we didn’t know!

1973 1975 1984

But initially chose to ignore – until we couldn’t!

2007 2013 2016

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Will ‘Being Sustainable’ be enough?

• Shrink our footprint

• “Do less harm” or maybe

• “Do some good”

• Cope – can we manage our way out?

• But is this enough?

Imagine!

+

S.S. Titanic Symphony of the Sea

Slow down or turn around?

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Turning around entails a state shift

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and seeing

Source: Richard Barrett, The Values Centre

“The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.

No problem can be solved with the same consciousness that created it.”

So we must learn to see the world anew…

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How do we do that?

Doing

Being

Seeing

Action

Values

PerceptionWaking up

Growing up

Stepping up

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Material, Mechanical View

Living System View

This shift in SEEING & BEING is happening all around tourism

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY HUMAN ASPIRATIONS

What’s causing this shift?

QUANTUM PHYSICS & COSMOLOGY

NETWORKS & COMPLEXITY

BIOLOGY – EVOLUTION

BIOMIMICRY

ECOLOGY

NEUROSCIENCE

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

PERFORMANCE

CREATIVITY-INNOVATION

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES

WORKPLACE ENGAGEMENT

MOTIVATION

Biomimicry

LINK

Humans are Growing-Up

Living Systems 101

We live on a LIVING SYSTEM

All living systems are made up of a network of PARTS – smaller living systems that are nested

Source: Humanity 4.0 Michelle Holliday

Nested SystemsEvery system:

Has an identity that’s more than the sum total of its parts

Has a function, role, purpose

Is in relationship with the whole of which it is a part and the parts that make the whole

Takes inputs of energy, fuel and nutrients from the whole and contributes back to the whole

Is self organising – can remake itself

Source: Humanity 4.0 Michelle Holliday

Source: Humanity 4.0 Michelle Holliday

Source: Humanity 4.0 Michelle Holliday

Source: Humanity 4.0 Michelle Holliday

The Destination as a Living SystemThe destination

The community

A sub sector egaccommodation

An enterprise

An employeehttp://www.conscious.travel/can-we-create-intelligent-destinations/

What does a “Successful” Living System in Nature look like?

• It’s alive – vitality; robustness;

• It’s self organizing

• Creates conditions for other life to exist

• Adaptable, constantly changing

• Resilient

• Efficient - Zero waste

• It’s evolving – greater order, complexity, beauty - dynamic equilibrium

• Unique, distinctive

• Balance

HEALTHY & ABUNDANT!

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

• Positive Emotions

• Engagement (passion)

• Relationships, connections, caring

& cared for

• Meaning, sense of purpose

• Sense of mastery, autonomy

35(c) Anna Pollock, Conscious Travel

What does a “Successful” Human Living System look like?

What makes you come alive?

“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

36(c) Anna Pollock, Conscious Travel

Step 2: Question, question

IDENTITY Who am I? Who are we? What does it mean to be humanWhen do I feel most alive?

PURPOSE Why am I here? What am I called to do/be?

VALUES What matters, what’s important to me/us

VISION What do we wish to create? What is calling to be expressed?

ACTION What will it take, what needs to be done, what can I contribute?

What does true Prosperity look like?

What does a FLOURISHING person, company, business or place

look, feel and operate like?39(c) Anna Pollock, Conscious TravelLINK

/ Communities

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In this transition everyone can play their part

How do we shift? 1. Gather, open hearts, minds and will; observe, listen converse

2. Be curious - ask tough questions that lead to inspiring compelling goals: how do we define success & prosperity?

Step 1: Conversations That Matter

How do we shift? 1. Gather, open hearts, minds and will; observe, listen converse

3. Commit to learning by doing together; try on different lenses, try, fail and learn some more – share!

4. Identify and develop the unique potential and regenerative capacity of people in your destination

5. Share roles, be inclusive

2. Be curious - ask tough questions that lead to inspiring compelling goals: how do we define success & prosperity?

6. Trust the process.